The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's
fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The
Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does
much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales. The Shire refers to an area
settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the
rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in the
large region of Eriador and the Kingdom of Arnor. Its name
in Westron was Sûza "Shire" or Sûzat "The Shire". Its name
in Sindarin was i Drann.

Geography

According to
Tolkien, the Shire measured 40 leagues (193 km, 120 miles from the Far Downs in
the west to the Brandywine Bridge in the east, and 50 leagues (241 km, 150
miles) from the northern moors to the marshes in the south. This is confirmed
in an essay by Tolkien on translating The Lord of the Rings, where he describes
the Shire as having an area of 18,000 square miles (47,000 km2).

The original
territory of the Shire was bounded on the east by the Baranduin River, on the
north by uplands rising to the old centre of Arnor, on the west by the White
Downs, and on the south by marshland south of the River Shirebourn. After the
original settlement, hobbits also expanded to the east into Buckland between
the Baranduin and the Old Forest, and (much later) to the west into the
Westmarch between the White Downs and the Tower Hills.

The Shire was
originally divided into four Farthings. The outlying lands of Buckland and the
Westmarch were formally added after the War of the Ring. Within the Farthings
there are some smaller unofficial clan homelands: the Tooks nearly all live in
or near Tuckborough in Tookland, for instance. A Hobbit surname often indicates
where the family came from: Samwise Gamgee's last name derives from Gamwich,
where the family originated. Buckland was named for the Oldbucks (later called
the Brandybucks).

The Shire is
described as a small but beautiful, idyllic and fruitful land, beloved by its
inhabitants. The Hobbits had an extensive agricultural system in the Shire but
were not industrialised. The landscape included small pockets of forest (again
similar to the English countryside). Various supplies were produced in the
Shire, including cereals, fruit, wood and pipe-weed.

Billy Boyd (born 28 August 1968) is a Scottish actor and musician most widely known for playing the
characters Peregrin "Pippin" Took in the film adaptation of The Lord
of the Rings (2001–03), Barret Bonden in Master and Commander: The Far Side of
the World (2003), and Glen in Seed of Chucky (2004).

In 2014, Boyd wrote and performed the song
"The Last Goodbye", which will be played over the ending credits of
the movie The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, which was released on 12 December 2014.The soundtrack, which includes Boyd's song, was released 8 December 2014.

The Hobbit is a
film series consisting of three epic fantasy adventure films directed by Peter
Jackson. They are based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Portions of the trilogy are also adapted from the appendices to The Return of
the King, which expand on the story told in The Hobbit. The films are subtitled
An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Battle of
the Five Armies (2014).

The screenplay
was written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro,
who was originally chosen to direct before his departure from the project. The
films take place in the fictional world of Middle-earth sixty years before the
beginning of The Lord of the Rings, and follow hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin
Freeman), who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) to
accompany thirteen dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), on a
quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug (Benedict
Cumberbatch). The films also expand upon certain elements from the novel and
other source material, such as Gandalf's investigation at Dol Guldur, and the
pursuit of Azog and Bolg, who seek vengeance against Thorin and his ancestors.

The films feature
an ensemble cast that also includes James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Evangeline Lilly,
Lee Pace and Luke Evans, with several actors reprising their roles from The
Lord of the Rings, including Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm,
Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis. The films also
feature Manu Bennett, Sylvester McCoy, Stephen Fry, Mikael Persbrandt, Barry
Humphries, and Lawrence Makoare. Also returning for production, among others,
were illustrators John Howe and Alan Lee, art director Dan Hennah,
cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, and composer Howard Shore, while props were
again crafted by Weta Workshop, with visual effects managed by Weta Digital.

The first film in
the series premiered at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington, New Zealand on 28
November 2012. One hundred thousand people lined the red carpet on Courtenay
Place, and the entire event was broadcast live on television in New Zealand and
streamed over the Internet. The second film of the series premiered at the
Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on 2 December 2013. The third and
final film premiered at Leicester Square in London on 1 December 2014.

Although The
Hobbit was originally made as a two-part film, on 30 July 2012, Jackson
confirmed plans for a third film, turning his adaptation of The Hobbit into a
trilogy. According to Jackson, the third film would make extensive use of the
appendices that Tolkien wrote to expand the story of Middle-Earth (published in
the back of The Return of the King). While the third film will largely make use
of footage originally shot for the first and second films, it will require
additional filming as well. The Battle of the Five Armies will take place in
the third film. The second film was retitled The Desolation of Smaug and the
third film was titled There and Back Again in August 2012. On April 24, 2014,
the third film was renamed The Battle of the Five Armies. On the title change,
Jackson said, "There and Back Again felt like the right name for the
second of a two film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor, when Bilbo's
arrival there, and departure, were both contained within the second film. But
with three movies, it suddenly felt misplaced—after all, Bilbo has already
arrived "there" in the Desolation of Smaug". Shaun Gunner, the
chairman of The Tolkien Society, supported the decision: "‘The Battle of
the Five Armies’ much better captures the focus of the film but also more
accurately channels the essence of the story."

The Hobbit, or
There and Back Again is a fantasy novel and children's book by English author
J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical
acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the
New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction. The book remains popular and
is recognized as a classic in children's literature.

Set in a time
"Between the Dawn of Færie and the Dominion of Men", The Hobbit
follows the quest of home-loving hobbit Bilbo Baggins to win a share of the
treasure guarded by the dragon, Smaug. Bilbo's journey takes him from
light-hearted, rural surroundings into more sinister territory. The story is
told in the form of an episodic quest, and most chapters introduce a specific
creature, or type of creature, of Tolkien's Wilderland. By accepting the
disreputable, romantic, fey and adventurous sides of his nature and applying
his wits and common sense, Bilbo gains a new level of maturity, competence and
wisdom. The story reaches its climax in the Battle of the Five Armies, where
many of the characters and creatures from earlier chaptersre-emerge to engage
in conflict.

Personal growth
and forms of heroism are central themes of the story. Along with motifs of
warfare, these themes have led critics to view Tolkien's own experiences during
World War I as instrumental in shaping the story. The author's scholarly
knowledge of Germanic philology and interest in fairy tales are often noted as
influences.

Encouraged by the
book's critical and financial success, the publisher requested a sequel. As
Tolkien's work on the successor The Lord of the Rings progressed, he made
retrospective accommodations for it in The Hobbit. These few but significant
changes were integrated into the second edition. Further editions followed with
minor emendations, including those reflecting Tolkien's changing concept of the
world into which Bilbo stumbled. The work has never been out of print. Its
ongoing legacy encompasses many adaptations for stage, screen, radio, board
games and video games. Several of these adaptations have received critical
recognition on their own merits.

Plot

Gandalf tricks
Bilbo into hosting a party for Thorin and his band of dwarves, who sing of
reclaiming the Lonely Mountain and its vast treasure from the dragon Smaug.
When the music ends, Gandalf unveils a map showing a secret door into the
Mountain and proposes that the dumbfounded Bilbo serve as the expedition's
"burglar". The dwarves ridicule the idea, but Bilbo, indignant, joins
despite himself.

The group travels
into the wild, where Gandalf saves the company from trolls and leads them to
Rivendell, where Elrond reveals more secrets from the map. Passing over the
Misty Mountains, they are caught by goblins and driven deep underground.
Although Gandalf rescues them, Bilbo gets separated from the others as they
flee the goblins. Lost in the goblin tunnels, he stumbles across a mysterious ring
and then encounters Gollum, who engages him in a game of riddles. As a reward
for solving all riddles Gollum will show him the path out of the tunnels, but
if Bilbo fails, his life will be forfeit. With the help of the ring, which
confers invisibility, Bilbo escapes and rejoins the dwarves, improving his
reputation with them. The goblins and Wargs give chase but the company are
saved by eagles before resting in the house of Beorn.

The company
enters the black forest of Mirkwood without Gandalf. In Mirkwood, Bilbo first
saves the dwarves from giant spiders and then from the dungeons of the
Wood-elves. Nearing the Lonely Mountain, the travellers are welcomed by the
human inhabitants of Lake-town, who hope the dwarves will fulfil prophecies of
Smaug's demise. The expedition travels to the Lonely Mountain and finds the
secret door; Bilbo scouts the dragon's lair, stealing a great cup and learning
of a weakness in Smaug's armour. The enraged dragon, deducing that Lake-town
has aided the intruder, sets out to destroy the town. A noble thrush had
overheard Bilbo's report of Smaug's vulnerability and reports it to the
Lake-town defender, Bard, who slays the dragon.

When the dwarves
take possession of the mountain, Bilbo finds the Arkenstone, an heirloom of
Thorin's dynasty, and hides it away. The Wood-elves and Lake-men besiege the
mountain and request compensation for their aid, reparations for Lake-town's
destruction, and settlement of old claims on the treasure. Thorin refuses and,
having summoned his kin from the mountains of the North, reinforces his
position. Bilbo tries to ransom the Arkenstone to head off a war, but Thorin is
intransigent. He banishes Bilbo, and battle seems inevitable.

Gandalf reappears
to warn all of an approaching army of goblins and Wargs. The dwarves, men and
elves band together, but only with the timely arrival of the eagles and Beorn
do they win the climactic Battle of Five Armies. Thorin is fatally wounded and
reconciles with Bilbo before he dies. Bilbo accepts only a small portion of his
share of the treasure, having no want or need for more, but still returns home
a very wealthy hobbit.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Group Notice From:
Sweetgrass Sim Group by Ganymede Gynoid
'Sexy dressed Santa’s with some of their bodyparts wrapped as precious gifts
danced in the Sweetgrass Christmas Disco,' Norbie wrote on the website with the
pics of the party at "http://sweetgrassparties.weebly.com/index.html".
DJ Racker did a magnificent set with many, many Christmas songs, so all came in
the right mood! The contest is won by Honzo, Luca, Christo, Fiorino, Jhami,
Joeh, and Lysander, congrats boys! Next Sunday we have a Bye bye 2014 Party
with DJ Ginger!
Pictures made by Ganymedes